Interview with painter Emir Yasin Yağmurca.

Who is Emir Yasin Yağmurca? Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Istanbul in 1995. The 8 years I spent in Eskişehir are very valuable. I spent my twenties in Eskişehir and shaped my perspective on art there. I am a person who prefers to spend time in quiet, peaceful places and enjoys contemplating nature for hours. Of course, Istanbul inevitably changes you. I try to adapt to this change, sometimes even to face it.

How would you describe your relationship with art in a single sentence?

In my inner world and physically, it's an effort to solve the problems I've created myself on canvas.

What was the turning point that led you to the point where you start painting today?

I recently painted a picture called "Beginning," and in doing so, I actually answered this question. In 2021, while living in Eskişehir, I started exploring nature alone, and there were places I visited repeatedly. At one point, I was there every day, and I immediately accepted the idea that "I must paint these landscapes I see." My work titled "Beginning" depicted the landscape I enjoyed most when I started exploring the steppe. Therefore, the moment I saw the landscape in my painting "Beginning" was a turning point for me.

What is the main thing you try to convey in your works?

I believe it's more important to evoke feelings than to simply describe. I think the most important characteristic of my work is that I've been physically present in all the locations whose landscapes I depict. I don't tend to work in places I haven't experienced. The "me" I feel while physically "there" is crucial. I decide on the color, composition, and overall aura of the work based on the moment I was there. Essentially, I try to create a higher realm by bringing together images I've seen in the real world through painting, leading to different feelings.

How would you describe your style to someone who doesn't know you?

That kid who makes blurry, hazy landscape pictures.

When you start a painting, what is the most exciting moment for you?

Every moment is important while working, of course, but the moment I find both challenging and exciting is when I realize the work is over.

What nourishes you when you're not painting?

Sitting in quiet places, with very few or no people around, and letting my thoughts drift. Within that calm flow of thought, what I should and shouldn't do seems to come alive before my eyes. This could be a technical problem I'm trying to solve, or it could be an attempt to define a subjective feeling.

What feelings do you want people to experience when they look at your artwork?

I want to expose them to a new perception of space and landscape. Essentially, I'm trying to create a brief moment where they can question the world they see from a visual aesthetic perspective. It's like rearranging their perception of space.

What do you think is the most powerful emotion that fuels your paintings?

I would describe it as a process of self-discovery and trying to make life meaningful and readable through nature. The state of being on the path, within the context of Sufism and Western philosophy, and the calmer, more subdued thoughts that this state brings, are things that make me feel powerful. I can describe the feelings this state brings as somewhat melancholic, somewhat like a state of mourning. It's like something or someone of mine has been lost, and I'm trying to find it. That lost thing could be me; all I know is that I'm constantly searching.

Do you have any complaints about today's art ecosystem?

Of course, just like everyone else. We always think about this situation from our own perspectives, and there are inevitably many issues that don't suit us or that we don't support. The important thing is to be able to analyze the situation from different point of view. There are so many contexts that affect the art ecosystem: social structure, economy, geography, politics, etc. Therefore, my only suggestion is to approach this ecosystem with empathy. Discussing this will take much longer, so I didn't think it was right to express a specific opinion right now.

What advice do you have for young artists?

First and foremost, we are working intensely and systematically to get us somewhere. Have confidence in yourself, and most importantly, be sincere. Your sincerity is the most important outward expression of who you are to others.